“enter his gates with thanksgiving” (100:4). The “gates” refer to the temple entrances. When the Israelites came into the temple area to celebrate the feasts and to worship God, they were to come with “thanksgiving” on their lips. The word translated “thanksgiving” (tôdâ) literally refers to a “public confession.” In the context of worship it refers to the public acknowledgement of God’s character and worth. In ancient Israel, when a worshiper presented a thank offering in the temple, a public declaration